Explainer-in-brief: High Court gives the green light to the Rwanda asylum plan
Yesterday, the High Court ruled that the controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda was legal. But the judges also said that the Home Office had failed to properly consider the circumstances of the eight people it was trying to deport back in June, and invited the department to consider them once more.
The fight is not over: more appeals by the charities that took on the case are likely.
Yet the verdict represents a partial, if not total, victory for Rishi Sunak’s government. It’s definitely a victory for Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary who back in October said it was her “dream” to see a plane take asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The government has already paid Rwanda £140m for accepting the deal. No one, however, has been sent there yet. This might change now, but not until the case is heard by the Supreme Court if the charities do decide to appeal.